


Hope Week 2020

by Lady_Phenyx



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Hope Week 2020, mildly introspective
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:28:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23616775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Phenyx/pseuds/Lady_Phenyx
Summary: A series of lightly interconnected one-shots for Hope Week, as the Guardians try to bring their centers to the world during these trying times.Prompts:HopeMemoriesJoy/FunDreamsWonderLightFree Day
Comments: 19
Kudos: 63





	1. Hope

Hope was like an Easter Egg, to Bunny's way of thinking.

Of course, the other Guardians would probably laugh and say that Bunny liked to compare everything to eggs, but that was beside the point.

So he had a theme, they all did. He didn't take it to any more extreme than the others did.

Eggs were strong. People didn't think of them that way, since a hit against a sharp surface or a quick blow could shatter them. But their shape meant most things slid off before it could deal damage, meant that they could stand more pressure than people would think they could.

Of course, if hopes were like eggs, that meant enough sharp blows or pressure could shatter them just as easily. And moon only knew this year had been enough to test even the strongest of eggs.

Bunny held up the egg he was painting, checking the swirls of color before letting it down to toddle off and join the others.

He could hear Jack in the distance, herding more of the eggs, getting them all separated into groups – some to get a coat in the glitter river, some for him to add swirls of frost to before getting another dunking in the color river, some ready for their journey to the surface and herded towards the tunnels.

That right there was a spirit with some strong hopes. He'd have to be, to still be so...so cheerful, to still have a center filled with _fun_ and _joy_ after three hundred years of being left to fend for himself. To still be able to accept them with as few hiccups and reluctance as he had.

So maybe he and Bunny hadn't hit things off on the right foot, but damn if Bunny wasn't proud of the show pony.

Bunny glanced at the egg he'd been painting, his paws moving on automatic while his mind wandered, unsurprised to find he'd painted it a soft blue before adding a sheen of glitter and a scatter of snowflakes. Perhaps not one of his usual spring designs, but given where his mind was going...well, it matched the purple and green, red and white, gold, and silver eggs.

Jack's hope really was like the little goggie, Bunny thought, turning it over in his paws. Surprisingly strong under all the pressure he'd been under, yet so very fragile.

Much like a lot of the children right now, he supposed.

Bunny picked up another egg to start painting. Might as well make this one reflect Katherine, he'd done all the other Guardians already. If he was going to unconsciously be a sap, might as well finish the set consciously and embrace it.

Things were rough out there right now. He could feel it, deep down inside (though he'd never say it was 'in his belly', come on North, try to take it seriously). Could feel bone deep just how frail hope was at the moment, how fear was taking over. That particular type of fear that mixed with boredom as everyone was trapped inside or in small yards, with nothing to do but be afraid and try and keep their spirits up however they could.

A few painted eggs weren't going to make that much of a difference this year, but making them show up where the anklebiters weren't expecting them? Not in fields or at egg hunts, but in bedrooms, playrooms?

And yes, some outside, because they needed an excuse to leave their homes, if it was at all safe. There were some who could, even if a lot of the kids couldn't

That he could do.

Even if it meant he had to hand paint twice as many as usual.

Because it was weak, but the hope was still there.

And with a little care, it would be stronger than ever before.

Sometimes hope was all the stronger for being under pressure. And if brightly colored eggs and sparkly lights were going to help, if Bunny could do the slightest thing to boost and strengthen those hopes for tomorrow, then he was going to see it got done, even if he had to paint all his brushes down to nubs to make it happen.


	2. Memories

Tooth ran her fingertips along the top of Jack's tooth box. Gentle, soft, a featherlight breath of a touch, to avoid activating the box and the memories within.

There were good memories in there, she knew, alongside the memory of just why Manny chose Jack to be a Guardian. And even that, despite everything, Jack found the good in. That despite what happened to him, he saved his sister, and the joy in that outweighed the pain of falling through himself.

Tooth glanced out over Punjam Hy Loo. This room let her see the main Tooth Collection hub, far down below. The girls were just as busy as usual – nothing seemed to slow the tooth collecting – but right now, Tooth needed them to continue without her. Baby Tooth was in charge, with several of her sisters as backup. They could do this.

She had to believe that.

Because right now, the children needed her. They needed her not just to collect the teeth, but to use them. To remind all of them of what was important right now.

They needed it more than they had in a long time.

Even they could tell that something was wrong and it wasn't going to get better any time soon.

Well, she could help, even if it was just a little right now. That was what being a Guardian was all about. Not just being there for the large, showy fights, but for the quiet ones the children thought they had to fight on their own.

Well, they weren't.

Not while a single Guardian was on this Earth, still had a scrap of power. They may have forgotten, for a time, how many of their duties lay outside of the obvious ones – the bringing of Christmas and Easter, of granting good dreams and gathering teeth; the way they were meant to inspire hope and dreams, memories and wonder, joy and imagination and bravery – for a time, but not anymore.

They couldn't do anything big, not like they wished to. They couldn't rescue a child from a bad situation or even do anything to make this current crises

Tooth gently settled Jack's tooth box back into its proper spot, safely guarded with Katherine and North's baby teeth, and left the room, flitting up to the higher levels of the Tooth Palace.

One there, she reached for the first of the thousands of the tooth boxes stored here.

Some of her girls were helping her – there were just too many for her to do alone.

But this task was for her alone.

The teeth were separated by contenent, but also by age. The older they were, lower or higher along the pillars they were.

And she was starting with the children that were, technically, too old to need her. Too old to believe.

Ones who had believed, once, but now were too old. Some of them all the way into adulthood, by now, but who might still carry enough of that spark to hear when her magic called.

They needed reminded as much as their little siblings, as much as the young ones did.

They were the ones feeling the most hopeless right now, watching their world burn down around them.

Maybe they were technically out of her jurisdiction. But so was Jack, and the tooth box worked for him.

They still needed her. And she had to try.

Reaching out, her fingertips brushed against the first box, and the room lit up in a crystalline rainbow.

Even if it was just this, she was going to do everything she had to help.

How could she be a Guardian and offer less?


	3. Joy/Fun

Jack perched on the top of a pole, watching the empty streets.

It was technically too warm for him to be here, but he couldn't just stay at the Pole. Not now.

It was times like this that made him question Manny's decision. Jack glanced up at the sky, unable to see the moon past the bright, sunny sky. The other Guardians were working hard to bring their own centers to the world, but what could Jack do? Hardly anyone believed in him, and there was no ice or snow to use to help spread joy or fun.

Well, North was also panicking about what to do even if he was trying to pretend he had things under control, seeing as how his holiday wasn't for months now, and he couldn't do much until then either. Oh, he was hiding it well, but Jack figured he'd learned enough about the others to read North well. Well enough to know that it was bothering North than he was willing to let on, that despite all his experience, North was feeling as helpless as Jack right now.

Jack's mouth tightened and he slipped from the top of the pole, caught by the wind. He'd dealt not being seen or heard for three hundred years, there were some who could do both, and he had people who loved and cared for him now.

He was a Guardian, and he wasn't going to let a little lack of snow keep him from doing his job.

He hadn't before he was a Guardian, and he sure as hell wasn't now.

Jack flitted between windows, blowing out happy flakes into them, aiming for child and teen and adult alike.

He was supposed to aim just for the children, but everyone needed a little joy right now. Besides, he was Jack Frost, when did he listen to the rules?

The flakes didn't work on everyone, especially not when they were adults. Some were too bitter, too angry, for it to take hold.

But Jack kept going. If he could bring even a bit of joy then it was worth dealing with the bitter ones.

Oh, Easter was coming up, wasn't it? A big cardboard cutout of a rabbit in a waistcoat and carrying a basket reminded Jack from his view through a window, one house that had decorated for the holiday.

Maybe...Bunny would accept a little help? He had to be working his tail off to bring hope this year, with everything that was happening.

If Dreams and Joy could mix, why not Hope and Joy?

Encouraged, Jack set off, moving faster now. Once he'd finished his self appointed task, it was off to the Warren, to make this the best Easter possible under the circumstances.

He wasn't quite sure what he could do to help, but there had to be something. If only making sure Bunny ate and took a nap now and again.

...maybe Jack should try and find Sandy, _then_ go to the Warren...


	4. Dreams

Golden strands of sand twined around Sandy's fingers, wrapping around each finger and twisting like living strands of the softest yarn.

More of it swirled around his cloud, moving gently in soft pulses.

Sandy frowned faintly, watching his sand as it flowed and twisted, reflecting off his eyes without actually seeing it.

Children needed dreams, now more than ever, and yet...was it gentle or cruel to let them dream of being with friends? Of the parties and playdates that they wouldn't get to have for who only knew how long (each time it looked like there might be an end in sight Sandy saw people not listening, going out and being too close and breaking every rule that was put in place to stop this thing, making it take longer and longer, saw leaders putting their attention to other matters, grabbing for petty power and not helping, leaving it to everyone else).

So should he try and keep them from dreaming of such things? But that almost seemed cruel as well, and yet...he released the streams, letting the sand flow out from between his fingers, from his cloud, down to a dozen small beds.

He wouldn't control them. Let the children dream as they would. Maybe it would remind them to call their friends, with all this new technology Sandy didn't quite understand but approved of for the most part. Let them dream of days in the future, when they could play again together. And hope that they would keep it as a goal rather than be pained by having to wait, wake crying that they couldn't go do it now.

Someday, they would.

They needed something more. They needed everything the Guardians could give them right now, and then some.

And so did the teenagers and adults.

The streams of Dreamsand didn't go to adults or teens the way they did to children – Sandy had to direct them there himself – and they weren't always accepted. Too many barriers, too many worries and fears and a refusal to allow childish things in.

Even something as simple as a dream. A silly dream, to relieve some of the pain they were carrying. Dreams of fairies, of unicorns, of flying. Of things to numerous to think of that had nothing to do with quarantines and fear.

It didn't mean Sandy could stop trying, no many how many resisted.

Enough of them were eagerly receptive to his dreams to keep him going.

Sandy found a smile lifting his face as he felt the dreams take hold on child and adult alike tonight, sweet, light dreams that have nothing to do with what's happening, nothing but laughter and happiness.

Even if it was only while they were sleeping, he could lighten the load. And for some of them, remind them of what they were waiting for, giving them things to look forward to and work for when they were awake.


	5. Wonder

North buried his head in his hands and suppressed a groan.

Christmas was so far off! And he hadn't tried to connect to the children without using Christmas in so long!

All right, there was that time during the whole Pitch thing of 2012 where he'd helped Toothie with the tooth collecting, but...

North shot up as if stuck with a pin. “Idea!” he caroled, eyes alight. There was no one around to hear him, but that didn't matter. North pushed away from the table, beginning to pace as he went through his idea aloud.

Tooth didn't need help right now – she might be annoyed at the help, actually, given she was trying to let her girls do it on their own while she helped the children Remember – but _Easter_ was coming up.

As much as North and Bunny wrangled over the importance of their holidays, Easter was still important...or at least, the spring it brought was, given that not everyone celebrated Easter.

But Easter brought Hope. For all they argued and wrangled, usually, all the Guardians' centers were equally important, but right now, didn't the children need Hope more than ever?

So...Bunny had Easter well in hand...or paw, as it were...usually. He hadn't needed help since Easter of 2012. Still, no harm in offering to help, no? With everything going on, Easter was extra important this year.

North made his hurried way down to the sleigh – the stone there could take a flower, if using the egg-charm Bunny had gifted each of them with after 2012 to make their way to the Warren left one the way Bunny himself did – absently responding to yeti and elves along the way.

And never noticing the still multi-colored 'Easter Elf' tagging along behind him.

\---XXX---

North landed in the Warren with a mighty thump, easily covering the Easter Elf's much tinier landing. They elf stood up quickly, giving himself a shake before darting off into the tall grass, unnoticed.

North wobbled to his feet, stretching with a crack. Ah, if only the children believed in him as a younger man...well, he was still plenty fresh and ready to go, once he found his Easter Bunny.

He turned to look at one of the sentinals, which stared back blankly as only a face carved of stone could. Still, it remained on the friendly side, so there was that.

“No directions?” North asked anyway, adding, “Is big Warren. Ah, well, shall find him eventually, no?” when it remained silent.

North tapped a finger to his chin, looking around and relaxing in the warmth. The Warren was edging towards full spring bloom, and the scent of flowers was heavy in the air above the riot of color, both a welcome change from the Pole and Workshop.

North planted his hands on his hips, leaning back to take a long, deep breath of air. He held that pose for a minute, soaking in the Warren, before letting out a loud laugh and setting out to find his bunny.

\---XXX---

It took a bit of walking to find Bunny, and the pooka was waiting for him, to North's vague disappointment. He always enjoyed surprising Bunny...well, except for when they were fresh off a mission and they were both a bit jumpy.

That usually didn't end well.

The sentinels must have warned him, as Bunny only looked mildly annoyed as he set down his paintbrush, shooing away the egg he'd been working on.

“Let me guess, you came to help too,” Bunny said dryly as North approached.

North tilted his head. “Too?”

Bunny pointed, and North followed the direction of that paw, seeing a blue speck in the distance. “Snowflake's surprisingly good at herding,” Bunny said, reaching for the next egg. “Came by and pouted at me until I let 'im help.”

“Well, Easter very important this year, no?” North said, pretending not to notice how Bunny's ears perked up in his direction. “Is a long time before Jack and I can help the children direct. But you can! Need hope so much right now. All do,” he added, deflating.

Bunny heaved a sigh that was mostly put on for show. “Right, fine, fine. Ain't quite ready to send out the goggies yet...you can help Jackie herd 'em, or try yer hand at paintin' a few.”

“Where is Jack herding them?” North asked, glancing up at the swooping Guardian, who was letting out a whoop as he plunged towards the ground, pulling up and floating over a group of eggs.

Bunny shrugged, turning to pick his half finished egg back up. “Inta the color or glitter rivers or towards th' tunnels. He's freezin' some first, just a bit. Turns out a bitta frost on 'em before they go in makes fancy patterns.”

North began to grin and Bunny pointed at him with the paint brush, jabbing it in his direction for emphasis with each word.

“No. You stop that. Right now.”

“Stop what? Am not doing anything,” North said, all baffled innocence as he sank down to sit cross-legged next to Bunny. He picked up one of the walking eggs, eying it dubiously. “Is nice to see you getting along.”

Bunny grumbled, eyes going back to his egg. “If yer gonna paint goggies, at least try not ta make 'em all Christmassy,” he said. “Wi' all th' hassle ya give me about Easter, surprised yer here.”

“Ah, well...” North said, and at the surprising lack of words Bunny turned back to him, ears tilted towards North.

As the silence stretched, Bunny pointed to the egg. “Ya can paint 'n talk. Do both.”

“Just is hard to bring wonder right now, is all,” North grumbled, sounding a few centuries younger than his actual age. “And Christmas so far off...and people are scared of what this will do to everything, let along Christmas.”

Bunny hummed in soft acknowledgment. “Well, put enough glitter on tha' googie and it'll be a start. Jackie wants to talk about what else we can do after Easter.”

“Feels like so little...” North said, staring at the egg in his hands, which looked almost comically tiny cradled in his huge palm.

After a moment, Bunny reached out and laid a paw over North's hand. “We're gonna do everything we can. That's all anyone can do.”

Their eyes met, and the smile they shared was centuries of shared pains and joys and friendship.


	6. Light

Katherine flipped through the patient Mr. QWERETY's pages rapidly, her eyes flickering across the stories within. Her pen (she loved the new pens, for all Ombric lamented the fact that quill pens were out of favor permanently – aesthetics were all well and good, but she needed the flow and reliability of a modern pen) flew across the pages of her scratch paper, readying a new story to put into Mr. QWERTY.

Nightlight sat on her windowsill, one leg dangling inside the room, his foot swaying idly as he watched and hands clasped over his other knee, bent close to his chest as the breeze from the half opened window ruffled his hair. His glow augmented the lamps around the room, casting soft light over Mr. QWERTY, more than a little worried about Katherine's eyesight.

He flickered softly, then faster, speeding up until he finally broke her concentration and made Katherine sit back, rubbing at her eyes. She scowled for a moment, but her train of thought was harder to derail than that, her temper too sweet to be upset for long. Not when she could feel the ache in her back and wrist that said she'd been writing for longer than she'd intended.

She smiled tiredly at Nightlight as Mr. QWERTY slipped out of her hands, the strange amalgamation of book and butterfly flying across the room to perch on the book stand.

“You're both saying I need a break, I take it,” she said with some amusement, letting out a snort as both nodded firmly. She leaned back in her chair, rubbing at the bridge of her nose as she closed her eyes. “It's just...stories are always important, of course, but they're so much more right now, with everyone trapped like they are. We all have to keep building off of each other, and taking a break feels like slacking.”

Nightlight slipped down off the windowsill, floating over towards Katherine. Mr. QWERTY stayed on the book stand on the other side of the room, ready to take off again and knowing Katherine might well try to start working again if he got within arm's reach again.

Nightlight carefully leaned his staff against the desk before slipping behind Katherine, his cool hands touching her shoulders lightly before he began kneading at the tight muscles there.

Katherine sighed softly, relaxing into the familiar touch. Nightlight flickered, speaking with his light, knowing he could speak here if he wished but just as sure that Katherine understood his lights better than anyone save Sandy.

_You can't help anyone if you work yourself into a breakdown. Even Bunny's taking breaks as Easter approaches, though I think Jack and North are partially behind that. And they'll help as soon as Easter's over. Bunny's crash should be much shorter this year._

Katherine giggled. “I'm so glad Jack's here now,” she said, leaning a little harder on Nightlight. “Things got so messy while we were gone. I just wish they'd found him sooner. Well, no sense in dwelling on regrets,” she said, reluctantly leaning away from Nightlight's hands. “I should get back to work. The children need stories now, more than ever.”

_That wasn't a break._ Nightlight scolded.  _That was barely five minutes._

“I know, but I'm so close to finishing this story, once it's in Mr. QWERTY it'll be sent out into the world,” Katherine said stubbornly. “I want to get it down before I forget. You can drag me off for a proper break then, now hurry before I lose it.”

Nightlight pressed a hand to his mouth, stifling a giggle as Mr. QWERTY sullenly returned to his previous place. It was far too true that ideas could be lost easily, no matter how strong they seemed at the moment or how difficult it was to derail Katherine's train of thought.

But as soon as she had it down, Nightlight was dragging Katherine out of this room.

\---XXX---

Mr. QWERTY snapped his wing-covers shut, flying across the room before Katherine could put down her pen. She pouted after the flying book and Nightlight had to stifle another laugh.

_Story's done,_ he 'said' cheerfully.  _Time to eat._

Katherine sighed and looked at the work still waiting to be put in Mr. QWERTY longingly, but stood. With both of them on her, she didn't stand a chance of continuing to work, and knew it very well by now.

She was gently hustled out of the work room, glancing behind longingly as Mr. QWERTY gently closed his wing-covers on the desk, beginning to glow as whatever magic made them able to send stories and imagination across the world began its work.

“Shouldn't you be out there, instead of watching me work?” Katherine asked as Nightlight guided her down to the kitchen. “I mean, the kids could use some light and bravery and laughter right now.”

Nightlight shrugged as he brought over plates.  _“I'll be going out with Jack later. It's harder when he's out of season and no one really believes in either of us. Plus, he's helping Bunny while I'm helping you. That's needed right now, too.”_

He paused, and added with a grin,  _“It might be harder, but we're still gonna make it happen.”_

Katherine smiled back, mouth full. She didn't really have believers as such right now herself, drawing on the power of the Guardians as a whole and on the imagery of 'Mother Goose', so she understood in ways some of the others might not.

Or maybe they would, given what had happened back in 2012.

“ _I'm worried about something else,”_ Nightlight added. _“Jack said a lot of his believers are feeling worse about themselves since they can't get themselves to be creative right now. There's a lot of people acting like they should be getting things done and it's a lack of 'discipline' keeping them from doing it.”_

Katherine's fork hit the table with an angry click. “They're what? Everyone's going through trauma, not everyone's going to be creating right now, they don't need that sort of pressure!”

Nightlight didn't bother to hide his grin.  _“Finish eating, then you can write an agry story about trauma and unnecessary pressure,”_ he said as he took a long, long sip of tea – one of the benefits of speaking through light rather than vocally. 

From the muttering coming from the other side of the table, Nightlight had a feeling this was going to be a good one.

He could hardly wait.


	7. Free Day

Pitch curled up tighter on the fainting couch in his lair, pulling a pillow over his head.

He was a spirit of fear. Right now should have been a veritable feast for him.

It was bitter and sour, inedible at its worst and unpalatable at best.

The children's fears...he hadn't realized when his tastes had changed from the adult fears of the other Guardians to the fears of children. The dark, bugs, heights, being lost, monsters in the closet...him,to be specific. Those, they were supposed to be afraid of.

These fears, that they were having now...the children were afraid as their world changed, and it wasn't anything he wanted a part of.

There were other fear spirits out there feasting, he knew. He'd put them back in their places once he could stand to be out there.

Children had been afraid of adult things more and more over the past few years, but this was the worst. Even the ones that were too young to really appreciate what was going on were afraid, knowing something was happening.

Pitch had seen Sanderson's lights in the sky. Seen Toothiana's annoying little fairies dashing all over the place, tasted the nip in the air from Frost with that sharp taste to it that came from Nightlight. That rabbit's holiday was tomorrow, and he could taste that coming on as well – the children's odd mix of excitement and disappointment.

Groaning, Pitch started the long, slow rise to his feet, unfolding inch by inch from his fainting couch, shadows pulling from the corners of the lair to wrap around him tighter.

Onyx trotted out of the shadows fully formed, the strongest and most loyal of his nightmares, to nudge at his elbow and have her snout caressed.

The Guardians, with all their precious hope and light, had this under control. For the children, at least.

But the fear spirits...they were forgetting who was the King of Nightmares.

They needed a reminder and to be put back in their places. Trying to grow powerful from the situation...understandable, really, given the amount of fear in the air, most of them were scavengers so it made sense to take advantage of the situation.

Understandable, but still something Pitch couldn't let stand.

Ugh. The Guardians were going to be utterly insufferable after this.

\---XXX---

Pitch stood on a hilltop and glared down at the city below.

He'd rousted five different fear spirits from it so far, and he was feeling on edge. The children's fear should have been sweet, but it was sour, sour and prickly and bitter.

It was adult fear, and it was wrong, wrong, _wrong_ to taste coming from children. 

It still gave him power, more than the other fear spirits could imagine, but it left a sour taste on his tongue Pitch wasn't entirely sure he'd hidden.

Ah, well, at least the other spirits had taken it as part of his disgust and anger with them.

A swirl of golden sand spiraled down from the sky, and Pitch huffed, turning away.

The sand sparkled at him, not yet speaking but managing to be curious and wary – and hopeful.

“Oh, shut it, Sanderson,” Pitch growled, waving a hand to disperse the sand. 

It reformed, growing just as smug as Pitch had predicted.

Pitch snarled, lip curling with the animalistic sound. “Shut it,” he repeated, again waving to break up the stream. “This is purely selfish and you know it.”

A stream of sand should not have been able to give the impression of rolling eyes, and yet.

Rolling eyes and more of that damnable hope and Pitch couldn't handle this right now.

“I. Am. Leaving,” he snapped. “Go on and spread your little dreams, you'll find no other fear spirits here tonight.”

The strand drooped, lights sparkling in the language of stars.

Pitch huffed. “Yes, yes, well, I'll be taking care of them. Don't get used to it, I'm just reminding them of their place.”

The sand twirled around Pitch affectionately, a quick embrace he wasn't fast enough to avoid, and it managed to laugh as it retreated back up to the sky.

Pitch managed to retain his dignity enough not to stick his tongue out at the sand...but only just.

Onyx snorted at him, and Pitch rolled his eyes as he mounted. “Not a word,” he said warningly.

Onyx snorted again, shaking her head at her master's antics before leaping, sending them into the shadows.

Honestly, they were all so  _stubborn._


End file.
